The selling of migratory birds
popularly called guest birds has already begun in different waysides,
particularly near the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament), the Elephant Road
and in the Motijheel Commercial Area in the city.

In the evening of January 2, a
group of people was found openly selling migratory birds near Sangsad Bhaban, in
front of the Eastern Plaza on the New Elephant road, in Moghbazar and other
parts of the city.It has been a cruel act meted out to birds. Most often the
vendors take their catch on road side in the heart of the city and sell them to
buyers who buy them for a mouthful of delicious food.

Migratory birds have already
arrived in the northern region, greater Mymensingh, Faridpur and Sylhet
districts and some districts of the central parts of the country this winter
season.

The migratory birds have also
started arriving in the lakes of Jahangirnagar University, and those of the BDR
area and the canal adjoining the ceramic factory at Mirpur-12 in the city from
various countries of Europe, particularly from Siberia.

According to sources, about 300
species of birds are there in our country, among them 150 fall in the category
of guest or migratory birds. About 14 species (kinds) of them, locally known as
Sharali, Chokha, Patari, Hansh, Hudhud, Chatak, Khanjim, Ringplober, Ziria,
Seraili, Lanza, Sargil, Balihas are among the various guest birds which come in
different parts of the country once a year and stay till March, they said adding
usually the birds in flocks start coming in December.

The bio-geographic location of
Bangladesh attracts thousand of migratory birds each year. According to the
ornithologists there are about 6,000 species of birds in Bangladesh and about
one-third of them are migratory birds which visit us in the winter, when the
climate here is much warmer than that of their own habitat. Among the migratory
ducks that visit our country are Gadwall, Gargany, Tuft Duck, Mallord, Greylag
Goose, Common Pochard, Pintail, Common Tail etc. These birds usually arrive in
batches from the middle of October but last year they were late comer and they
came during the middle of December.

There are nearly 9,000 species of
birds all over the world. A number of species have become extinct, quite a few
have become endangered and on the verge of becoming extinct. Most of the birds
are highly mobile because of their power of flight. Each species has a definite
geographic range, which can surround several continents or only a small island.

There is a law for conservation
of wildlife in Bangladesh and that was passed in 1974.

According to experts, there has
been a gradual decline in the arrival of migratory birds population with every
passing year. They cited the reasons for this unwelcome phenomenon: Destruction
of habitat, random killing through hunting, unawareness about the relevant laws,
lack of awareness about the fact that these birds often act as balancing agents
of nature, indiscriminate use of pesticide etc.

In this respect the sellers of
birds said that they collected the birds from the interior of the Northern
areas, grater Mymensingh, Grater Faridpur, Sylhet districts and some districts
of the central parts of the country. They were smuggled through the adjacent
districts of Gazipur, Narsingdi, Narayanganj and Manikganj with the chalan
transport of the local goose and chicken. The bird sellers told me that a pair
of Bali hansh (goose) sells at Tk. 400 to Tk. 600 and Seraili at Tk 550 to Tk.
600 per pair. They also said that there is an organised network for bringing
these birds to various urban places including the capital after catching them by
net or traps from their temporary habitat in the country.A seller of migratory
birds at Elephant Road said they do not face any problem in selling them because
of maintaining an alleged cordial relationship with the law enforcing agencies.
They know that selling of these birds is prohibited and punishable under law.

But, it is a big surprise that
thousands of people the vendors and nobody raises any protest against selling of
guest birds this way. Police personnel were also seen passing through the spot
and they ignore it. The law enforcing people seen to have forgotten that killing
of wild lives is a criminal offence and punishable under the law of the land.

One can also witness the
uninterrupted sale of birds in the city's thoroughfare in Manik Mia Avenue,
Gulistan, Farmgate, Panthapath, New Market and at Moghbzbazar crossing to name
some of the spots.

When I happened to be at Elephant
road in one afternoon, a few days ago the vendors were displaying the guest
birds for sale.

As I attempted to take
photographs of the birds hanging their heads down from the vendors hand, they
tried to resist me. But they failed. Most people wonder how this cruel act can
continue under the very nose of the law enforcing people. The cruelty to birds
is recently on the rise. The bird sellers do a bright business through the
winter season when the guest birds stay in the country for a safe sanctuary from
the far distant region of Siberia.

The question is now whether the
law enforcing people and the people in general would take up the issue and come
up to protect the wild lives, particularly to protect the birds from being
killed.

Will somebody take the lead to
mobilise the civic conscience and a resistance against it, a passer-by wondered
in this connection.

A gentleman ruefully said that
unfortunately birds are not safe even in the hands of law enforcers as most of
them are fond of duck roast as the affluent are fond of roast of wild birds.
Generally people in our country are battered by poverty and they sell birds as
they find at profitable. It is the moral force that can restrict the violators
of the Conservation Act, he added.